Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days

We're selfishly daydreaming of how we could use something like this at the next CES, but chances are that Lockheed Martin is really only fixated on boosting its bottom line by assisting the US military. The company's HULC exoskeleton, which was originally introduced by Berkeley Bionics in 2008, is seeing a significant upgrade this week courtesy of a fuel-cell power pack from Protonex. The goal? To strap a new, more potent battery onto the Human Universal Load Carrier that will support 72+ hour extended missions. Soldiers tend to carry around a lot more gadgetry now, all of which requires more and more power; with this pack, the men and women in the field could carry fewer conventional batteries while seeing an overall boost in available juice. There's no mention of when exactly this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but that's a detail you'll probably never know, anyway.

[Solidstate89 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 12:25PM]

HULC? That's fucking genius. What will these people who name devices with acronyms think up next?

[Kyu Posted Jan 22nd 2010 1:35PM]

@Solidstate89

when they realized there will be man hugging carebear fairies who'd protest about using live K9's for sniffing out/testing detonations of explosives made by terrorists.
They developed and gave birth to a new soldier named SCOOBY DOO
the Power source for it was a prototype called SCOOBY SNAC

I was actually impressed with the name HULC vs the name scooby lol

[Scape3d Posted Jan 22nd 2010 12:39PM]

I thought that was a Modern Warfare 2 screenshot at first. I need to put that game down!

[midnightprince7 Posted Jan 22nd 2010 3:45PM]

@Scape3d i thought this was fallout 3

[Kyu Posted Jan 22nd 2010 12:59PM]

I'm assuming this is being adopted by the ARMY first ?
a good thing in a way, Seems like the ARMY loves to use their soldiers as testing subjects anyways. And the average army soldier's too weak now. especially the national guard

but I still think on a average infantry Marine this would be perfect,
Not required but perfect

[The Missing Link Posted Jan 22nd 2010 2:16PM]

@Kyu

You know nothing about the Army, shutup.

[Myst3ry Posted Jan 22nd 2010 1:36PM]

Look guys! its the MJOLNIR Mark .VI Prototype!!

[Randomnesspat Posted Jan 22nd 2010 3:40PM]

@Myst3ry
Exactly I was thinking!

Spartan Laser early stages:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4926840

(The story a bit old but it should prove my point)

[Randomnesspat Posted Jan 22nd 2010 5:35PM]

@Myst3ry http://gizmodo.com/5139231/boeing-laser-avenger-shoots-down-incoming-enemy-for-the-first-time

[FelixDraconis Posted Jan 22nd 2010 2:44PM]

Must suck when your battery runs out and you have to lug that thing back to camp too or get seriously chewed out by your superiors for ditching an incredibly expensive piece of equipment.

[cosmicinglewood Posted Jan 22nd 2010 6:02PM]

How much for this power supply?

[UhClem Posted Jan 24th 2010 11:08AM]

It suddenly malfunctions and one ends up doing an involuntary banzai charge.